


The Gift of an Inch

by misura



Category: Havemercy Series - Jaida Jones & Danielle Bennett
Genre: M/M, POV First Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-13
Updated: 2015-12-13
Packaged: 2018-05-06 12:58:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5417975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Caius goes forth to do battle and finds himself most adequately rewarded.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Gift of an Inch

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Evandar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evandar/gifts).



> please note that this is a work of fiction and that this is in no way to be considered a guide to relationships, platonic or otherwise. thank you.
> 
> (look, I really love these two, but Caius can really be very, well. Caius?)

The moment I entered the room, I saw that the very thing which I had feared had come to pass. Far from being allowed to enjoy his breakfast in peace, Alcibiades was veritably surrounded.

No doubt he had sought to chase them off by making it clear he had no interest in their company. Alas, that he was such an object of interest that no one had heeded him. I could only imagine his frustration, to say nothing of the poor mood he would be in at present.

Still, friends ought not to avoid one another's company merely because one of them was having a bit of a poor start of the day. Thus, tea cup in hand, and feeling properly heroic, I set forth to do battle.

"Excuse me." Manners, it is said, are a gentleman's invisible armor.

No doubt the good general would have something to say about _that_ (or at the very least, he would have grunted disapprovingly). In truth, I preferred to use manners offensively, rather than defensively. While it can be satisfying to watch an enemy vainly throw himself at your defenses, it can be a tad tedious to have nothing to do but wait.

I was thus unsurprised to find that no one seemed the least inclined to make space for me. _Poor_ manners, I have found, are far more commonly employed by way of armor, if rarely by those I would refer to as 'gentlemen'. They might well refer to themselves by that word, of course.

Obliviousness, alas, is a wide-spread evil.

Through some calculated use of my natural charm and grace, I nevertheless managed to reach a spot where Alcibiades could reasonably be expected to be able to notice me. The poor dear looked quite harassed. His expression upon seeing me did not noticeably lighten. Quite probably, he mistakenly thought I was no more capable of alleviating his situation than he was himself.

"Good morning." I smiled at him winningly. Someone I did not know nor cared to know asked if it was true he had defeated the Emperor of Ke-Han in a magical duel.

"I don't see what's so good about it," he said, as I had known he would. He really was quite predictable, but in a way that was somehow endearing, rather than boring.

Perhaps it was how, the moment he had noticed me, it was as if nobody else in the room even existed. Given how absurdly close some of them were standing to him, I could not but admire his determination, as if he could make it so that the two of us were alone merely by wishing it so.

"Well, there is this tea, for example," I said. I did not wish to embarrass him by pointing out that this morning was looking up simply because he and I were together once more.

For all his fits of temper and endearingly blunt manners, deep down inside, Alcibiades was a shy creature, reluctant to draw attention to either himself or his more tender feelings.

Alcibiades grunted in a way that I took to mean I should find a place to sit down. He was quite right, naturally; one cannot properly enjoy a cup of tea standing up.

It took some pointed use of my excellent manners to secure a seat. I managed it quite neatly, though, and sufficiently quickly that my tea had not yet cooled down to the point of being undrinkable when I was able to divide my full attention once more between it and Alcibiades, who eyed me morosely.

Clearly, I had left him to fend for himself far too long. I wished that I could cheer him up immediately, which would be no small feat, yet well within my capabilities.

Sadly, there were important matters to discuss first.

"My dear," I said, "have you been wearing your socks? By which I mean, your warm ones?"

He looked surprised. I experienced another pang of conscience. Obviously, his mind had been wholly absorbed in warding off questions about our adventures in Ke-Han. Thus, my question was an unexpected but welcome reprieve, akin to offering a drink of water to a man who has grown used to going thirsty.

"What kind of question is that?"

His ability to form whole sentences was heartening. It meant that I should, perhaps, consider _not_ orchestrating the ruin of everyone in this room (save, it went without saying, Alcibiades's and my own).

The fact that, now that I had engaged the general in conversation, they seemed content to simply listen spoke in their favor as well. Possibly, they still possessed just the tiniest sliver of good manners.

"I am merely concerned for your health," I said. He was a soldier; surely he understood.

"I'm fine." His empty plate belied his words. I would not believe that he had allowed himself to be cornered without sufficient provisions.

"My dear," I said, my tone as gentle as I could make it, "you were snoring last night. Somewhat loudly, I might add. Now, while this might signify nothing at all save a regrettable tendency to keep others awake, I might also indicate that you have caught a cold. Thus, my question to determine which of the two situations applies."

I had long struggled with the question of which of the two scenarios I ought to _wish_ to apply, as Alcibiades's close friend and confidente. This, in part, was why I had been so late to wake.

Possibly, then, I could be excused for not being there when the trap had closed on him.

"You - " Alcibiades had turned a not entirely becoming shade of red. "You went into my room? While I was _asleep_?"

I felt quite pleased at his having come to know me so well. I could think of at least a dozen methods by which I could have acquired the information without setting a single foot in his room, and that was just from the top of my head. Alcibiades, though, had grasped at once that I would have never been so indiscrete, nor so indelicate as to involve other people in what was, after all, a wholly private matter.

"Surely you do not suggest that I should only visit your room while you are either awake or absent," I said. "Or both."

"Why?" Alcibiades asked, adding, after a moment's thought, "Were you in my room at all?"

I charitably decided to act as if he had properly formulated his question immediately. "I did not know what to wear this morning. Well," I allowed, conscious of our audience, "I had plenty of ideas, but I did not know what _you_ would be wearing."

"And, of course, you wanted to make sure we matched." He was making a very nice recovery, if I did say so myself.

"Of course." Sadly, even a _velikaia_ was not able to see in the dark. Thus, I had been treated to the sound of Alcibiades's snoring twice: once, when I had retrieved his clothes, and once more when I had returned them.

"You - " Alcibiades rose. The way he held his body suggested he was preparing for violence.

I felt a slight thrill at the prospect. I did not doubt that, if he put his mind to it, Alcibiades might cut a path of bloody noses through the throng surrounding us, thus making good his escape. I did not imagine that I would be much help in such an undertaking.

"Please," I said, acting as if I had not noticed anything amiss. Thrilling as it would be, a violent outburst at this point would hardly be prudent. There would no doubt be an inquiry of some sort, either official or unofficial, and it would take someone intimately acquainted with Alcibiades's sensitivities to see how very provoked he had been, and how blameless, were he to give in to his baser instincts now. "Think nothing of it. Although next time," I went on, "perhaps you could simply tell me in advance."

"Perhaps you could simply share my room. Then there would be no need for any talking or sneaking around at all," Alcibiades said. His expression was quite fierce.

I was touched. He really was a simple soul. "It is very kind of you to offer, naturally. I am very flattered." I would have to let him down easy, without hurting his feelings. "But, you see, it would not work at all."

"No. I suppose not." He looked and sounded quite deflated, the poor dear. Like someone had told him his birthday had been cancelled.

"Of course, you would very welcome to share _mine_ ," I said, trying to lift his spirits. "We shall need to find some space to put your clothes, but given how few of them you have, I don't think it will pose any great problem." I fully intended that he should expand his wardrobe, yet now was hardly the time to mention that. With Alcibiades, it was always best to take things one step at a time.

True, I had not dared hope our friendship would take such a leap forwards so quickly as to have us share rooms. Still, who was I to look a gift horse in the mouth?

"You - " Alcibiades seemed at a loss for words.

I took his hand, knowing full well how he disliked making a public spectacle of himself. "You're quite welcome, my dear."

For a moment, I thought that even this small gesture had been too much and that he would pull his hand away. Then, he seemed to think better of it. He grunted, leaving his hand where it was.

"Oh, I promise I shall not mind your snoring at all," I said. "That is to say, I am sure that I will be able to think of some way to deal with it." He had never answered my question regarding his socks. For a man like Alcibiades, that was practically a confession. Yana would be ever so disappointed in him when I told her in my next letter. Only two months ago, she had sent him the wooliest pair of socks.

"You really are mad," he said.

I told myself that he meant it kindly. After all, he had just proposed for us to move in together. He might grouse and grumble all he wanted; his actions spoke quite clearly, and what they told me was that he valued our friendship as dearly as I did.


End file.
